Flood-gate.



G. A. VANCE.

FLOOD GATE.

APPLIUATION FILED rms. 9, 1914.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

ATTORN EY WITN ESSES VH" NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-Llfh i., WASNINGTUN. u L

'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE .AMOS VANCE, F PALMYRA, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

Application 1ed=1`ebruary 9, 19141. i Serial No. 817,632'.

automatic liood gates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of flood gates and to provide a simple and efficient flood gate adapted to be easily and cheaply constructed and designed for use in creeks, small streams, ditches, and the like, and capable, when there is a suliicient rise in the water, of opening automatically to permit drift wood and the like to pass through it where by injury to the gate from floods and the like is prevented.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a flood O'ate equipped with latch mechanism capab e of securely locking the flood gate and controlled by a floatadapted,

indry weather, to act as a positive weight for` maintaining the latch mechanism in the locked position thereof.

It isalso` an object of the invention to arrange `the parts so that when there is a rise of water, the lioat will have onlyth'e latch mechanism toy lift, whereby an easy and positive operation of the iiood gate is obtained.

lith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed `out in the claims appended hereto. I

ln` the drawing: Figure 1 is an elevation of a Hood gate provided with automatically operable float controlled latch mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the saine. Fig. al is a perspective view of a portion of the latch mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line Llc-4l of Fig. 1, illustrating the construction of the catches.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the y drawings.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a flood gate prefer- A be automa tical yably composed of vertical bars and horizontal connecting bars, and hinged at the top by a horizontal pintle rod 2 to spaced vertical posts 3 located. at opposite sides of a stream and connected by a top bar or beam 5. The posts or supports may be of any preferred construction, such as wooden posts, concrete abutments, and the like, and the gate, which is designed for use in various creeks and` streams, may be of any desired size. The

gate is provided at opposite sides with latch bars G pivoted at points intermediate of their ends to the gate by bolts 7 or other suitable fastening device, and arranged in substantially horizontal position when in engagementwith the catches 8. The catches 8,

which are pivoted at their rear ends to the inner `,faces of the posts 3 by bolts 9 or other suitable pivots, are provided at their front ends with heads beveled at the lower edges and having shoulders at the inner ends to engage `with the outer armsor portions of the latch bars 6. The catches are adapted to be automatically engaged by the latch bars in the lclinaing movement of the gate and they swing upwardly on their pivots to permit the latchbars to pass beneath their engaging heads, and the downward movement of the catches is limited byprojectons 101 adapted to support the catches in position to y engaged by the latch bars G when the gate closes.

The inner arms or portions ofthe latch bars t3 are connected by links 10"*with a horizontally disposed bar 111, extending across the gate and slidably mounted in vertical guides 12 and connected at the centerwith afloat actuated bar 13. The guides leach consist of a single piece of strap or other suitable material secured at its terminal to the gate and bent outwardly adja cent its terminals to provide a loop in which the bar 11 slides. The links 10a, which may be of any preferred construction, may be bifurcated at their terminals to receive the adjacent ends of the latch bars 6 and the horizontal connecting bar 11, and they are pivoted to the said bars by rivet-s 14 or other suitable fastening device. The bar 11 is adapted to move upwardly and downwardly in the vertical guides `1Q for simultaneously actuating the latch bars 6.

The bar 13, to the lower end of which is secured a suitable float 15, is composed of upper and lower vertically disposed portions and an intermediate horizontal connecting portion 16 which oilsets the lower vertical portion from the upper vertical portion to provide sufficient space between the lower portion of the bar 13 and the gate for the float.

adapted to receive a bolt 18 for adjustably connecting the lbar and the float 15 with the horizontal bar 11. The float, which is shown in the form of a bore in the accompanying drawing, may be of any other pre.- erred shape,oand willbe varied' in sizel with the size of the gate and the latch mechanism,

and the vertical adjustment of the bar 13' enables the loat, within certain limits, to be arranged to be operated by any predetermined Yrise of the water. In order to maintain the bar 13 in a vertical position, the lower portion of the'bar passes through a guide 19 which is adapted to preventk the bar 13 from oscillating on the bolt 18, that connects the said bar 13 with the horizontall bar 11. The guide 19, which may be of any preferred construction, consists of a stem and a horizontally disposed head having an opening to receive the lower offset portion of the bar 13. The stem of the guide has a threaded portion QOpiercing the lower portion of the gate and secured to the same by nuts 2ly arranged on the said threaded portion and engaginr rear faces thereoi The latch bars 6 project beyond the sides of the gate a sufficient diS- tance to engage the posts 3, which limit the closing movement o1' the gate, which is adapted, when locked, to efectually revent hogs or other animals from passingt rough it. As the flo-at is movable vertically to operatel the latch mechanism for releasing the gate, there is no liability of the gate being opened by a hog 0r other animal pressing against the side of the float, as` only a direct vertical lift will unlock theY gate, Also, the particular construction of the float will enable it, if desired, to be readily., ar-

The upper portion of the bar 13y is provided at intervals with perorations 17' the gate at the front and ranged within a cage or guard without interfering with its operation.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a swinging Hood gate hinged at the top, of opposite catches located at opposite sides of the gate, latch bars pivotally mounted on the gate and arranged to engage with the catches, a horizontally disposed vertically slidable bar eX- tending across the gate and guided thereon, links connecting the terminals of the horizontal bar with the said latch bars, a centrally arranged vertically movable bar connected at its upper portion to the horizontal bar, a floatsecured to` the lower portion` of the vertical bar,` and adapted to actuate the same to release the gate and normallyoperating asa weight to maintain the latch bars in engagementwith the catches, said float being movable independently of the gate in actuating the latchy bars, and meansv connected at its end with the latch bars, a

lcentrall'y arranged vertically movable barv provided with an offset lower portion andl ,having its upper portion adjustably pivoted to the :horizontal bar, a guide carriedvby theA 'gate and receiving the lower offset portion of the vertically movable bar, and a Hoet secured to thelower end ofthe latter.

In testimony, that I claim thevf'oregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa4` ture in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE AMOS VANCE,`

Witnesses:

WM. ARNDT, CHAS. SHEPARDSON.

(kopie:` of this patent may be obtainediorfve centsi each, byV addressingv the Commissioner et Patents,

Washington, D. C.

Hood

Guided on the gate and 

